Experimental verification of collective instability as a driver of mesoderm invagination

Establish experimentally whether a collective mechanical instability of the epithelial tissue is sufficient to drive mesoderm invagination in Drosophila embryos, as proposed by vertex models that attribute invagination to such an instability.

Background

Prior modeling work proposed that Drosophila mesoderm invagination could arise from a collective tissue instability, suggesting that large-scale mechanical interactions may suffice to drive furrow formation. However, this mechanistic hypothesis has not been validated experimentally.

Confirming or refuting collective instability as a sufficient mechanism would clarify the minimal physical requirements for invagination and help discriminate among competing models that emphasize apical constriction, basal expansion, and apicobasal shortening.